Saving

The Lies Hiding in Your 401(k)

Our retirement system is as hard to understand, opaque, and predatory as ever

By Greg Smith June 1, 2015

Here's Exactly How You Waste $1,700 Every Year

If you do this, you might as well be lighting a pile of money on fire

By Martha C. White October 17, 2014

Young Adults Have Basically No Clue How Credit Cards Work

Cause for concern?

By Martha C. White September 11, 2014

Time to Kiss Your Free Checking Account Goodbye

Your checking account could be bleeding you dry

By Martha C. White September 11, 2014

6 Ways Coupons Actually Cost You Money

Turns out, frugal living can have some pretty serious pitfalls

By Martha C. White August 30, 2014

The Huge Mistake Most Parents Are Making Now

Hey kids, hope you’re saving your pennies. They might not have gotten around to telling you yet, but there’s a good chance your parents expect you to fork over your own money to help pay...

By Martha C. White August 25, 2014

And America's Best Tippers Live In...

Data from the mobile payments company Square reveal some huge regional differences in the generosity of customers

By Fortune August 21, 2014

This 1 Mistake Could Cost You Hundreds of Dollars

Read the fine print—or pay

By Martha C. White August 21, 2014

5 Cash-Saving Tech Tools

Saving money is gratifying—plain and simple. And technology can make lining your pockets even easier. These five apps and websites help you put more dollars where they belong: in your wallet or bank account. Find...

By Techlicious July 30, 2014

Only Suckers Abide by Food Expiration Dates

Date labels on food were created with consumer safety in mind. But some of the labels result in confusion—and tons of perfectly safe food tossed out for no good reason. We hear regularly that Americans...

By Brad Tuttle May 16, 2014

The Incredibly Simple Way to Get Drivers to Buy Fuel Efficient Cars

The secret lies in making it crystal clear how much they'll save in gas costs over the long haul. In every car dealership, a new vehicle for sale is required to have an EPA car...

By Brad Tuttle May 16, 2014

Free Cone Day, Free Ice Cream at Haagen-Dazs Tuesday May 13

Free Cone Day is back at Haagen-Dazs, with free scoops being dished out at hundreds of shops starting at 4 p.m. today. Haagen-Dazs is celebrating Free Cone Day on Tuesday, May 13, when no fewer...

By Brad Tuttle May 13, 2014

One of Life's Annoying Regular Expenses Is Getting Cheaper

Prices are on the rise for everything from meat to limes, from rent to Netflix. But one of life's commonplace expenses is surprisingly on the decline. According to AAA, the average cost of owning and...

By Brad Tuttle May 12, 2014

6 Mother's Day Factoids to Show You're Not a Horrible, Ungrateful Son or Daughter

In advance of your Mother's Day plans (or lack thereof) not going over well today, here's some ammunition for making the case that you—and your mom—could have done a lot worse. Moms get more love...

By Brad Tuttle May 11, 2014

3 Next-Gen Plug-In Cars That Could be Game Changers

The biggest complaints about electric cars are that they're too expensive or have limited driving range, or that don't have enough space for hauling gear or a family. In one way or another, all of...

By Brad Tuttle May 8, 2014

The Best and Worst States for Working Moms

Moms do it all, but it's easier for them to juggle careers and children in some places than in others. Just in time for Mother's Day, a new survey ranks which states are best for...

By Martha C. White May 6, 2014

Could It Be? Gas Prices May Have Already Peaked for 2014

We're still weeks away from Memorial Day and the peak travel days of summer. But it looks like gas prices mercifully won't go much higher in 2014. The commonly held theory is that gas prices...

By Brad Tuttle May 2, 2014

Favorite Summer Toy of the Rich Is Getting Downsized

Is it safe to go back in the water, so to speak, of boat ownership? Boat sellers are attempting to win over cautious consumers with cheaper, smaller models. There are plenty of phrases about boat...

By Brad Tuttle April 29, 2014

Free Pretzels! Hot Giveaway on Saturday to Celebrate National Pretzel Day

There's still more than a month's wait until the arrival of Free Donut Day. So for now the free pretzels served up hot and salty on Saturday will have to suffice. National Pretzel Day might...

By Brad Tuttle April 26, 2014

Brace Yourself for a Flood of Cheap, Used Cars

The number of off-lease used cars for sale is expected to jump to 2.5 million next year as new vehicle leases have picked up after a drop during the Great Recession and cars are now lasting longer

By Brad Tuttle April 21, 2014

Here Comes the Next Big Push to Get Drivers to Buy Electric Cars

Everybody understands that one big upside of owning an electric car is that you'll never have to spend a penny on gasoline. Now, you won't have to pay for the electricity needed to charge the...

By Brad Tuttle April 18, 2014

Here's Target's Plan to Take on Amazon

For the sake of convenience, low prices, or both, shoppers who used to routinely pick up household items at Target have slowly taken their business over to Amazon. Target wants its customers back in a...

By Brad Tuttle April 17, 2014

Your Grilling Season Budget Just Went Up in Smoke

It's finally the time of year to break out the barbecue and cook outdoors. Now if only you could afford some steaks to toss on the grill. This shouldn't be coming as a surprise. Beef...

By Brad Tuttle April 14, 2014

Beloved Little Car Amazingly Gets Smaller and Roomier at Same Time

The new version of the subcompact Honda Fit, hitting the market next week, is a little shorter than its predecessor. Somehow, though, there's more space inside for passengers, including nearly five extra inches of legroom...

By Brad Tuttle April 10, 2014

Why La Quinta Is Not Just Another Cheap Motel Brand

La Quinta, the hotel company undergoing an IPO of its stock this week, is a limited-service brand favored by travelers on tight budgets. At some properties, rooms start under $50 a night. But La Quinta...

By Brad Tuttle April 9, 2014

Sports TV Broadcasting Hits New Highs … in Annoying Fans

Lately, many sports fans who have tried to watch the Winter Olympics, or NCAA Final Four basketball, or the Atlanta Braves, or the Los Angeles Dodgers have been frustrated for a very basic reason. They...

By Brad Tuttle April 8, 2014

Here's How Many Students Could Save $50,000 on College—But Aren't

More colleges are allowing students to finish up their four-year degrees in just three years. But only a tiny percentage of students are taking advantage. In 2012, Wesleyan University, an elite private college in Connecticut,...

By Brad Tuttle April 7, 2014

So Far, Online Gambling Revenues Have Been Pathetic

State budget makers and gaming interests have drastically, laughably overestimated the amount of money that would be generated with the advent of legalized online gambling, especially in New Jersey. In March 2013, New Jersey officials...

By Brad Tuttle April 3, 2014

Peak Pizza Is Here: American Appetite for Pizza Cools Off

Pizza may have peaked. Pizza consumption in the U.S. has increased year after year, but forecasts indicate that we may not be able to stomach much more. Americans eat an astonishing amount of pizza. That’s...

By Brad Tuttle March 31, 2014

These March Madness Tickets Are Going for a Tiny Fraction of What They Should

College students can buy tickets for this weekend's NCAA March Madness Final Four in Arlington, Texas, for just $40 apiece, a tiny fraction of the average seat price. Will students turn around and flip their...

By Brad Tuttle March 31, 2014

There's a Good Chance You Dumped Your Supermarket Last Year

Long waits, dirty stores, and, most importantly, high prices are among the reasons so many consumers are breaking up with their once-steady supermarkets. In a recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports, one-third of subscribers said...

By Brad Tuttle March 28, 2014

Your Local Dinky Mom and Pop Liquor Shop Is in Major Trouble

Total Wine & More, a rapidly expanding megastore chain with cheap prices, huge selection, and a reputation as "Toys R Us for adults," understandably has mom-and-pop liquor shop owners feeling like they could use a...

By Brad Tuttle March 27, 2014

Spring Is Here! Too Bad You’re Still Paying for Winter

This year's brutal winter wreaked havoc on roads, homes, and most likely, your finances. Here’s a look at a few of the groups that got hammered by the harsh weather, and that are likely to bear the costs of the season for quite some time

By Brad Tuttle March 20, 2014

It's a Great Week to Be the Pizza Guy

The Super Bowl of pizza delivery days is, well, the Super Bowl—Domino's sells some 11 million total slices—but the food delivery business really takes off every March thanks to St. Patrick's Day and the tipoff of the weeks-long NCAA March Madness tournament

By Brad Tuttle March 18, 2014

The Poor Writer's Life, Now With Free Travel … and Free Houses

Yes, free travel and free housing are possible for writers thanks to with two new residency programs. This isn't a open-ended free-for-all, however: Note that the free travel comes via Amtrak, and the free houses...

By Brad Tuttle March 15, 2014

Travelers: It's About Damn Time Airlines Toughened Up Baggage Policies

United is ratcheting up stricter carry-on baggage rule enforcement, and the result is that more passengers will be hit with fees. To which many travelers say: Wonderful! This week, word has quickly spread about United...

By Brad Tuttle March 5, 2014

After Winter Freeze, Car Dealers Want Your Dollars

This season's record-setting cold resulted in a 3 percent decline in car sales in January compared to a year earlier, meaning that dealers are eager to move vehicles from their lots. Turns out, this bitter cold might actually save you a few bucks

By Brad Tuttle March 5, 2014

Custom-Order 'Mix-In' Ice Cream Chains Realize They're a Rip-off

Executives in charge of two sister ice cream chains did a funny thing: They did some price comparisons in the field, talked to consumers, and concluded their “value proposition was out of whack.” That's according...

By Brad Tuttle February 21, 2014

An Ultra-Cheap, Anti-Union Upstart Airline Could Transform Flying

Travelers have long desired low-cost flights connecting Europe and the U.S. One emerging European carrier is making this dream a reality—and a range of travel industry forces don't like it one bit. Norwegian Air Shuttle,...

By Brad Tuttle February 13, 2014

Nearly Half of America Lives Paycheck-to-Paycheck

The economic picture is looking brighter these days. The federal government announced Thursday that economic growth had picked up to its fastest pace in two years, while employment growth over the past five months has...

By Christopher Matthews January 30, 2014

The Problem With President Obama's 'MyRA' Savings Accounts

Expanding savings opportunities makes sense. But a big issue is whether people have the means to use them.

By Dan Kadlec January 30, 2014

DVDs, Pizza, Porn: How One Video Store Chain Stays in Business

Last fall, when Blockbuster announced it would close the last of its storefronts, it seemed to officially end the era of the physical video rental model. Family Video, the country's largest operational video rental chain,...

By Brad Tuttle January 22, 2014

10 Important Pieces of Money Advice From a Banker

How Companies Are Making Employees Save for Retirement

The 8 Smartest Things To Do With Your Money in Your 30s

Why 'Don’t Worry About Money, Just Travel' Is the Worst Advice of All Time